This presentation by Caroline Moser, Professor Emeritus of the University of Manchester, analyses the recent 9th World Urban Forum from a gender perspective. The presentation was made at an event in February 2018 hosted by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). Moser analysed the role gender played in the thematic itineraries, and made a series of conclusions. More details: https://www.iied.org/new-iied-discussion-series-focuses-gender-international-events

1. Gender Commentary on
the World Urban Forum 9
(WUF9)
Caroline Moser
Professor Emeritus
University of Manchester
IIED 22nd February 2018

2. Introduction
 Purpose of commentary:
To provide gender commentary on WUF9 based on
secondary evidence
Background context:
The NUA and gender transformation
Disaggregation of evidence:
Women’s participation in WUF9
Gender transformation in ‘thematic itineraries’
The final Kuala Lumpur Declaration
Final Question:
Women as a separate category or gender
transformation as an integral urban concern?
C. Moser

3. Background context: reminding ourselves
about the NUA and Habitat III
C. Moser
Women’s participation in NUA consultation process
over 5 draft documents
Doubling of references to women / gender between first and
final draft of NUA
14 (of 175 paragraphs) in 1st May zero draft
32 (of 175 paragraphs) in final draft
NUA set the bar very high
‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls,
ensuring women's’ full and effective participation and equal
rights in all fields’

4. Background context: NUA Expectations
Welfare, Empowerment or Transformation?
C. Moser
• Welfare: women as a vulnerable, or special interest
category
• Gender empowerment, describes how individual
women through individual agency increase their
bargaining power to participate fully in economic and
political life (c.f. women’s economic empowerment)
• Gender transformation an inherently political act,
associated with structural change in gender power
relations, it emphasizes collective action, contestation
and negotiation.

5. Gender Commentary on WUF9
1. Women’s participation
Question: Does greater representation of
women increase the focus on gender?
1. Gender disaggregation of
speakers in formal UN Habitat
events
Women 119 (35%)
Men: 216 (65%)
Total 335 (100%)
Comment: C. Moser

6. Institutional
Affiliation
No %
1.Government National 25 41
Local +Mayors (5) 24
2. NGOs (SDI 5: HC2) 38 32
3. UN 19 16
4. Other Academics 7 11
Private Sector 3
Journalists 3
119 100
Which institutions did they represented?
Comment:
 2 out of 5 from government (national or local)
 1 out of 3 from NGOs

7. Region No %
1. Africa Total (12 countries) 27 26
South Africa 9 : 33%
2. South/Central America Total (9 countries) 18 18
3. North America Total (8 countries) 8 8
4. Asia Total (14 countries) 28 27
Malaysia 12:45%
5. Europe Total (8 countries) 20 19
UK 7: 35%
6. MENA Total 2 2
Total 16 not identified 103 100
Which region and country did they come from?
Comment:
More than 1 in 4 from Africa and Asia (dominance of SA +
Malaysia)
Nearly 1 in 5 from LCR and Europe (dominance of UK)

8. 2. Gender commentary on the ‘thematic itineraries’
Context: Realizing the NUA priorities
Deconstruction of 32 commitments into three categories
C. Moser
Category for gender
intervention
Number
referenced
Composite group 14
Gender-responsive 10
Transformative 3

9. Realizing NUA priorities:
Transformative or gender responsive interventions?
C. Moser
Commitments with transformative potential
Land tenure rights – security of land tenure for
women as key to their empowerment
Safety and security –cities without fear of violence
and intimidation
Informal economic opportunities – particularly
women in terms of livelihoods income security, legal
and social protection

10. Thematic Itinerary No. of
sessions
Gen-
der
Thematic Itinerary No. of
sessions
Gender
1. Climate Change 26 0 10. Risk red. & resilience 36 0
2. Land 24 3 11. Urban design 57 2
3. Mobility 13 0 12. Women 24 19
4. Public space 11 0 13. Humanitarian 10 0
5. UBS 10 0 14. Migration 5 0
6. Urban safety 6 1 15. Nat. Urban Policy 17 0
7. Housing 29 0 16. Slum upgrading 17 0
8. Local econ. dev. 13 0 17. Urban Legislation 6 0
9. Municipal finance 4 0 18. Youth 11 1
Total 319 7 (26)
Gender in WUF9 Thematic Itineraries
Comment: 18 themes:
• 2% of ‘non-women specific’ had gender-titled
sessions
• On: land, urban safety, urban design

11. Thematic Itinerary No. Sess. Thematic Itinerary No Sess.
1. Climate Change - 10. Risk red. & resilience 2
2. Land 1 11. Urban design
3. Mobility - 12. Women -
4. Public space - 13. Humanitarian 1
5. UBS 1 14. Migration -
6. Urban safety 6 15. Nat. Urban Policy -
7. Housing - 16. Slum upgrading 1
8. Local econ. dev. 3 17. Urban Legislation -
9. Municipal finance - 18. Youth -
Caucus 5 Training 4
TOTAL 24
Women-Specific Thematic Itineraries
Comment: NUA theme of Urban Safety most important
Would it be more strategic to drop the women-specific
themes and integrate all gender-focused sessions into the
Urban Themes?

12. Gender Analysis of the
Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Cities 2030
• As in NUA, continued reference to women as mixed,
stakeholder category along with other individual and
mixed groups;
– youth, children, persons with disabilities, grassroots groups,
indigenous, private sectors, foundations
– As a vulnerable group along with youth, grassroots organizations
and excluded – on governance and partnerships
• Age and gender responsive environments
• Gender inequalities in urban economic and leadership
spheres – addressing ‘social inequalities’
• No specific actions, actionable recommendations, or
gendered frameworks
C. Moser

13. Strategic Institutions and Individuals;
questions for the IIED team
 How far did gender-focused organizations
and networks have transformative agendas?
 SDI (women’s voices in grassroots);
 Huairou Commission (land and property rights);
 WIEGO (economic opportunities);
 Cities Alliance (Urban planning / housing; Claire
Short’s consistent interventions)
 How important / useful was the Women’s Assembly
 Are there new champions?
 Will the new ED of UN Habitat, Maimunah Mohd
Sharif, as a woman make a difference in prioritizing
gender?
 Women Mayors
 New gender transformative NGOs or the same as
C. Moser